As a mature institution in online gaming, our team has a refined ethos which guides us forward and keeps us grounded to our core values. This conditioning has set us apart as a community and has allowed us to persevere through the years. Our success is directly linked to the willingness of our members to embrace this unique culture and advance it in their daily participation.

Team Foundation

A team must work together to function properly; clans are a dime a dozen. We do not refer to ourselves as a "clan." In the many years that we have existed as a team, we have seen countless clans disintegrate and fail. We are not focused around a single leader and we do not engage in "clan politics." This makes us "different" in the eyes of many and we gratefully accept that.

We expect three things above all else from our members: character, honor, and professionalism. Our community's foundation rests upon the personal character of our members. Those who are deceitful, vindictive, crass, or unmotivated are poisonous to the atmosphere of our community. As people, we should be proud of who we are and not be a disgrace to ourselves or others. We must honor our commitments and stand by our words. We must act in a calm, focused, and professional manner so that others will look up to us and not spite us. We must be a step above the general internet population, which is driven by a false sense of anonymity into pathetic behavior unfitting of the great gaming environment we are privileged to have.

Our team is not interested simply in being "the best" team in any game in a statistical sense. We do not judge our members by their kill-to-death ratios or their game statistics. We will not accept members simply based on any game skills they may be lucky enough to have, but by the total content of their character and personality. It is unfortunate that so many are willing to sacrifice their integrity to pursue accolades in high competitions, and we will not compromise our principles in any misguided attempt to follow their lead.

To those who would scoff at this notion and label us as a "noob clan," understand this: a player can be taught any skill with enough instruction, time, practice, motivation, and persistence. A player with a pathetic attitude will always be pathetic, no matter how many skills they may posses. High-level competition players whose social skills are so deficient that they cannot manage themselves as adult human beings will ultimately not be remembered for their success in competition, but their disgraceful disposition. The untrained, yet highly-motivated and respectful player will mature into a professional warrior who commands the respect of others by his demeanor, fairness, and rational actions.

We think that our lengthy record of success stands on its own merits, despite standing in contravention of conventional wisdom.

Personal Character

The attitude of professionalism and honor that a member has must extend beyond the game itself. Our members are expected to refrain from using harsh profanity and abusive language. This is an alien concept for some and will defy their ability to understand. We will not engage in protracted debates about whether or not this policy makes sense in our present society. It is unprofessional conduct, demonstrating a tendency towards improper emotional outbursts, and is incompatible with our principles.

Members are not to engage in any questionable behavior. Lying, cheating, rumor-spreading, contempt for fellow members, scandalizing, juvenile behavior, and harmful conduct bring shame not only onto the guilty person, but also onto the entire community. The way of the warrior is a difficult and distinct path, which for some will be impossible to follow.

In this spirit, we have no tolerance whatsoever for any cheating or hacking activities. This conduct is the scourge of online gaming and we must be directly opposed to it. No member may have any association to any of this activity, either presently or in the past. This is unacceptable to us.

With all of these things in mind, we openly recruit new members on an ongoing basis. Any active player who meets our basic qualifications and feels that they are a good match for us is welcomed to file an application to join our team. There is no fee to apply or to be a team member. We accept members from all over the world and do not restrict our recruitment by country, culture, belief system, or any other irrelevant factor. For more information on our qualifications for membership and the process of joining, please see the Join Team Special Forces section.

Commitment to Excellence

Competitive matches help us to enjoy the games we play in ways that are unique and challenging. Any member who participates in the preparations for a match is eligible to play, regardless of their skill level, but the final decision for who will play in what parts of each match is ultimately left up to the match leader.

We do not mandate any participation in competitive activities. Our members are free to only play for fun if that is what they desire. The games we play exist to give entertainment to their players, and we embrace the foundation that fun playing provides for our community.

For those who decide that they do want something more in terms of competition, we expect that they will be focused in their approach to preparing for matches. All members who wish to play in matches are to participate fully in practices and planning sessions, and to exhibit a level of seriousness commensurate with the effort required by our staff members to set up and run matches. Those who sign up to play in matches expect that each match will be a serious, organized game, and we want all of our members to understand that when people take time out of their lives to schedule their gaming, the result should be a focused and proper gaming experience. Losing is part of gaming, but sloppy and unprepared participation is damaging to morale and each player's motivation to continue to prepare for match play.

We are not primarily motivated by winning matches. We will not criticize or expel members who fail to win matches. However, members who are serious about competitive playing must be open to suggestions on how to improve their performance and make focused efforts to practice and prepare for the next time. Many more valuable lessons are learned in losing than in winning, and those lessons should not be discarded out of frustration or disappointment. Only through the process of learning from our mistakes will we improve and further our maturation.